Preparing a packed lunch every day in the rush before school can be a real nightmare, and these days more and more of us are doing it. We all start off with good intentions, but come October most creative impulses die a dreary death and we revert to ham or cheese sandwiches. Children are all different but, by and large, what they want is a quick fix - a packet of crisps and a chocolate biscuit that can be wolfed down in minutes, leaving maximum time for the playground. It's not going to be what parents want - good food that will sustain them until lunchtime - and while I might be a guru on feeding to many mums, my own children are typical kids who often turn their noses up at what I give them and covet their friends' pepperoni and cheese strings.

It is estimated that over 5bn lunchboxes are made for children each year in the UK, so the food companies have spotted their opportunity, but you need to really be on your guard here. If a product is marketed as suitable for a child's lunchbox, take a close look at the label - it's more than likely highly processed, sugary, salty or fatty junk. For example, the once healthy cereal bar now often contains over 40% sugar and 32% fat. But over the years I've come up with a few ways of keeping packed lunches just a little bit more interesting and a little bit healthier too.

Begin by knowing your children's tastes and build from there. We all know that feeling when our lovingly prepared food gets returned to sender at the end of the day. Communicate with your children, look at what comes back untouched and ask them - without being defensive - why it wasn't eaten and if there are any foods that other children bring to school that they would like to try. Also, don't assume that what is eaten at home will be devoured in the school canteen - peer pressure may sway your children to want what other children are eating. Swap sandwiches for trendy wraps or make your own healthier versions of cereal bars. And make sure they're involved from the beginning: take your children shopping with you, try brainstorming some lunchbox ideas with them and plan their lunchboxes in advance.

My daughter's favourite is a chicken wrap - a small tortilla spread with some mayonnaise and then filled with cooked chicken, shredded lettuce and tomato. We want to give our children variety but, generally speaking, they would be happy eating the same thing every day! The trouble is that always giving children the same thing to eat only encourages extreme fussiness. It's frustrating, as first thing in the morning, when you are rushing to get the kids to eat breakfast and out the door, is probably not the most inspirational time of the day ... So plan ahead. Prepare things the night before: make pasta salads, sandwich fillings, fruit compotes or include something from last night's dinner like satay chicken skewers or a Spanish omelette. You can also cheat by adding extras like shredded chicken, cherry tomatoes and chives to a ready-made potato salad.

In summer if you want to keep the contents of your child's lunchbox cold, you could freeze a carton or plastic bottle of juice overnight. The frozen drink will help keep food cool and will have defrosted by lunchtime. Choose pure fruit juice or fruit smoothies and not fruit juice drinks which might only contain 10% fruit. Cut-up vegetables like carrot or cucumber sticks can dry out, so it's a good idea to wrap them in some damp kitchen paper to keep them moist. Surprisingly my children and a lot of other children I know really like hummus, which makes a good dip for raw vegetables. Make sure that fruit is easy to get at: most children will leave food that takes a lot of effort to eat. They just something quick so that they can go and play with their friends. So make it easy and give them prepared fruit like clementines already peeled (covered with clingfilm), halved kiwi fruit so that they can scoop out the flesh with a spoon. Give them wedges of mango or melon, or thread bite-size pieces of fruit on to a straw and wrap in clingfilm.

As the colder weather sets in, it's a good idea to include something hot in a lunchbox. A wide-mouth mini vacuum flask is ideal for delicious home-made or good quality, bought soup like a chicken and corn chowder or tomato soup. Keep emergency supplies at hand too: if you have a supply of frozen bread rolls or bagels in the freezer for emergencies, throw one in - by the time your child eats lunch, it will have defrosted.

Finally, it's nice to add a surprise like a note, stickers or joke in your child's lunchbox or send a special treat labelled "share with a friend". And at the weekend get your children involved in the kitchen making cookies, Rice Krispie squares , flapjacks and muffins which they can take to school and share with their friends.